Movable stairway



July 19, 1927. I FIE. BESSLER MOVABLE STAIRWAY Filed-Se t. 15. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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fiSSZi July 19, 1927.

1,636,280 7 F. E. BESSLER MOVABLE STAIRWAY- Filed Sept. 15. 1925 2 Sheefs-Sheet z.

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Patented July 19, 1927.

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, MOVABLE srnrnway Application filed Septeniber 15,i1 925.i sermi noksasu. l

The deviceforming the subject matter of this application is ofthat general type 1n whicha stairway is'mounted'slidably on vertically swinging panel, and the invention aims to. provide novel meansfor controlhng the movements of the stairway and the-panel,

novel means being provided forholdingthe stairway slida'bly on the panel. -1 .1 It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of thattype to whichthe invention appertains.

With the above and other objects inylew which will appear as the description pro-- ceeds, the invention resides in thecombination and arrangement of parts and:1n the t details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed. maybe made within the scopeof what is claimed without departing w fromthespirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevation, adevice constructed in accordance with the invention, the panel being swung downwardly,.and the stairway being slid downwardly on the panel; Figure 2 is a fragmental elevation showing how sundry parts cooperate when the stairway is slid backwardly on-the panel; Figure 3 is a section on the line 33: of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on theline, 4+4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a section. on the. line 55 of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a section-on the line 6'6 of Figure 1.; Figure 7 is a section through one of the spring drums; Figure 8 is a perspective view showing one of the retainers and attendant parts.

The numeral 1 marks a support, which may be'the ceiling of a room, the support having an opening 2. The numeral 3 marks a panel which is hinged at 4 to the support 1 at one end of the opening 2, for vertical swinging movement. The numeral 40 designates any suitable means whereby an operator may swing the panel 3 downwardly into the position shown in Figure 1.

An angle plate is secured at 51 to the support 1, at one end of the opening 2. Horizontally spaced angle brackets 52 (Figure 4) are secured at 54 to the angle plate 50. The brackets 52 have outstanding arms 53. Shafts 55 are mounted in the arms 53 of the angle brackets 52. Supporting wheels 56 are mounted on the shafts 55. The supporting wheels 56 are located inwardly of 1 are'located outwardly of the .in Figure 3, .A shaft 9is mounted in the brackets 6. Supbrackets 6. The

:Yflanges 11; at their inner ends.

and the adjacent the j stairway 16 is held in 563 prov ded on their edges with outwardly the arms 53 2 v Shafts 57 i are mounted in the arms 53 of thebrrckets 52. Pulleys 58 are journaled" on theshafts 57. 'The pulleys 58 arms 53.

Lower, bearingbrackets6 are carried: by

j the panelri3. Securingelements 7 are mounted n the brackets6 near to their upper ends. Retainer blocks 8 are-mounted pivotally ion* the inner ends of the securing elements-7 and are located inwardlyfof the brackets 6. The-securing elements? project, as shown outwardly of the brackets 6.

porting wheels10 are'journaled on the shaft 9 and; are located inwardly of; the bearing Wheels. .10 i have Cotter pins 12 hold the wheelslO inplace on the shaft 9. Pulleys 14 are journaled on the shafts 9 outwardly of the brackets 6. The pulleys 1.4

are retained. in placeby cotter pins 15. The numeral 16designates a stairway slidably mountedon thepanel 3. The stairway 16compr1ses st1les17 and treads 18. The

19 .and 'isfwide' enough to bridge the space {between the'upper end .oft-he stairway 16 portion of the support or ceiling 1, when the parts are arranged as showniniFigurel. 1' The uppermost tread of place by brackets extending depending stops 64;, one of which is -sho.wn clearly in Figure 1. The stairway ,16 carries fixedfhand-rail 21. The "stiles 17 of the stairway 16 ride at their lower edges on the supporting wheels 10 and 56.

and the inner surfaces of the stiles'are engaged by the flanges 11 of the wheels 10 to hold the stiles as shown in Figure 6.

Hangers 59, in the form of plates are proprojecting ,upperinosttread is-marked-by the numeral vided. The hangers 59 are mounted for swinging movement, vertically, on the shafts 55 of the arms 53 of the angle brackets 52. The hangers 59 are located between the sup porting wheels 56 and thearms 53 of the angle brackets 52, as shown inFigure 4. A cross tie 60 connects the hangers 59, the upstanding ends 61 of the cross tie being connected to the hangers. Retainer blocks 62 are attached to the inner surfaces of the hangers 59. In the outer surfaces of the stiles 17 of the stairway 16, longitudinal guide grooves 22 are formed. The retainer blocks 8 and 62 are received slidably in the guide grooves 22. The retainer blocks are called by that name, because they retain the stiles 17 of the stairway 16 on the supporting wheels and 56 for sliding movement. Since the retainer blocks 8 are mounted pivotally on the securing elements 7, the retainer blocks will not bind in the grooves 22, but will accommodate themselves readily to the grooves, even though the stairway 16 may not be disposed exactly parallel to the panel 3. When the stairway 16 is slid downwardly on the panel 3, as in Figure 1, the stops 64 cooperate with the upper edges of the hangers 59, to limit the downward sliding movement of the stairway on the panel.

Supports 24 are mounted on the stiles 17 of the stairway near to the lower end of the stairway. Latches are mounted pivotally intermediate their'ends on the supports 24 and are adapted to cooperate with the securing elements 7 of the brackets 6, when the stairway 16 is slid upwardly, to hold the stairway in place, detachably, against downward sliding movement. When the stairway is slid upwardly, as aforesaid, into the position of. Figure 2, the supports 24 abut against the upper ends of the brackets 6 and stop the upward movement of the stairway, the latches 25 engaging with the parts 7 as hereinbefore explained.

Bearings 26 are mounted on the support 1 at that end of the opening 2 which is remote from the hinge 4. A shaft 27 is carried by the bearings 26 and is held in place by set screws 28. Drums 29 are journaled on the shaft 27, outwardly of the bearings 26. Securing elements 30 hold the drums 29 on the ends of the shaft 27. Coiled springs 31 are located within the drums 29. The outer ends of the coiled springs 31 are connected at 32 to the drums 29, and the inner ends of the coiled springs are connected at 33 to the shaft 27. Flexible elements 34 are wound about the drums 29. From the drums 29, the flexible elements extend downwardly about the pulleys 14 on the brackets 6, and, then, the flexible elements 34 are extended upwardly along the panel 3, and are engaged about the pulleys58. From the last-specified pulleys, the flexible elements 34 are extended forwardly and downwardly along the stiles 29 and put the springs 31 under tension, the

springs reacting to aid in the rearward or upward sliding movement of the stairway 16, and in the upward. swinging movement of the panel 3, it being understood that when the occasion for the use of the stairway nas passed, the'stairway is slid rearwardly on the panel 3, and the panel is swungupwardlv until it closes the opening 2 in the support 1.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a device of the class described, a support, an upper pulley carried for rotation on the support, a panel hinged'to 'thc'support for vertical swingingmoveinent, a lower pulley journaled on the panel, a spring-actuated drum mountedon the support, a stairway, means formounting the stairway for sliding movement longitudinally of the panel, and a flexible element wound about the drum, the flexible element being extended downwardly around the lower pulley, rearwardly along the panel, about the upper pulley, and downwardly and forwardly along the stairway, and means for connecting the forward end of the flexible element to the stairway.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

FRANK E. BESSLER,

Gin 

